Cwmderi Diary 2018: 5 January 2018

Dani complains about the photos

Colin has printed some of the photos and Britt shows them to Garry and Dani; “I don’t want to frame any!” decides Dani,

"I'm not smiling . . ."

“I’m not smiling,

". . . and Garry looks as if he's never held a baby!"

“and Garry looks as if he has never held a baby!”

Mathew has to have a look

Inevitably, Mathew sidles across to have a look, as Britt reminds Dani that Colin tried to make her laugh; “Catrin and Aaron are all smiles.” Dani replies that she does not want pictures of Britt’s children.

"I'll go, Dani"

The baby monitor informs them that Carol is crying; Dani insists that she will go up, even though Garry offers to do so. Britt leaves in a huff.

Mathew picks up one of the photos

Then Mathew notices that one of the photos, of the baby, has been dropped on the floor, so he quickly retrieves it.

"Next week we'll find out if the operation was a success"

At Cysgod y Glyn, Ffion tells Diane that they will find out a week today whether Arwen’s operation was a success; “We’re hoping for the best. She’s going back to school on Monday – and so am I.”

"Something for your 'bottom drawer'"

Diane has brought her something for her ‘bottom drawer’, a vase, and wants to see her ring. “I haven’t got one yet, but I had some lovely flowers,” FF replies.

Diane considers that Gethin should get a move on, but Ffion points out that he was not expecting her to propose;

"I think he might buy one today!"

“I think he might buy one today – he was going to Carmarthen to buy parts for the garage – or so he said!”

Gethin just cannot keep away

Sheryl is cleaning the salon windows, and Gethin goes across to see her;

"And you want a 'co-driver'?"

“I have to take a car for a test run in an hour,” and she deduces that he is angling for a ‘co-driver’.

Gethin is besieged by request for sponsorship

Before she can say anything, DJ arrives looking for sponsorship, then Dai approaches from the opposite direction.

"You've spent all your money on booze!"

DJ maintains that Dai needs moral support, which elicits the response, “You’re doing it after spending all your money on booze over Christmas!” DJ points out that he is doing it for the club;

"Put me down for £10"

Gethin and Sheryl each agree to sponsor him for £10.

"They're not that bad!"

Up in the Deri flat, Garry insists that the photos are not that bad, but Dani does not want to keep any of them.

"Give her to me, Garry!"

When he picks up Carol to change her nappy, and the baby cries, Dani instructs him, “Give her to me, Garry!”

"You're like a lioness around the place"

“You don’t want me to hold her, do you?” Garry objects, “You’re like a lioness around the place, refusing to let me get near her.”

"She won't settle with you"

He hands over the baby, and grumbles, “You think I’m not good enough!” Dani insists that she will not settle with him; “Because you don’t let me near her!” he snarls,

"It's no wonder we never smile"

“It’s no wonder we never smile.”

Now he has a photo of Carol on his phone

Mathew has captured the baby photo on his new camera; when Garry comes downstairs, he angrily kicks a box of crisps into the bar,

"What's the matter with you?"

and Mathew wonders what is wrong with him. “Dani and the baby are both fine –

"We're not bonding!"

“I’m the problem – the baby isn’t taking to me at all!” Garry moans, “We’re not bonding, although I’m trying my best – and Dani isn’t helping! She keeps Carol to herself all the time, as if she doesn’t trust me with her – I don’t understand it.

Mathew knows exactly what the problem is – him

“Something’s not right – don’t rush to become a father, that’s all I’ll say.”

"Geth and Sheryl have promised £10"

In the shop, DJ boasts that Gethin and Sheryl have promised him £10; Eileen tells him to put her down for the same.

Of course, Britt has to go one better

Then Britt pipes up, “Put me down for £50, in the name of the chip shop.”

"I thought money was tight for you and Colin"

Eileen thought that money was tight for them, but Britt points out that it is important to support local causes.

"Chester's never with me these days"

When Hannah comes into the shop, they are surprised that Chester is not with her; “He’s never with me these days – he’s always at APD,” she replies,

"Gran and Uncle David are helping with his homework"

“Gran and Uncle David are helping him with his homework.”

"Perseverance, that's the secret"

Dai is bragging to Jim, “Perseverance, that’s the secret,” but Jim reminds him that he has only been dry three days. “That’s longer than you’ve ever been on the wagon!” Dai roars, but Jim maintains he has to stay dry until the end of January.

“Look, if I wanted to, I could go without beer for months!” Dai tells him.

"It's disgraceful!"

Meanwhile Chester is practising his public speaking; “As soon as we are 16, we can leave school, get married, pay taxes and join the army – but we don’t have the right to vote. It’s disgraceful!”

"You should be genuine – like me and this drinking business"

Dai’s opinion is that he should be passionate and genuine, “Like me and this drinking business. Your problem, Jim, is that you’re too mean to put your hand in your pocket for a good cause!”

"It's worth it just to see you suffer"

Jim’s answer to this is to hand him £10; he gloats, “It’s worth it to see you suffer for the rest of the month.”

"You should be doing your schoolwork!"

Then Britt comes in and tells Chester that he should be doing his schoolwork; Diane says that she is trying to give him advice for the public speaking exam.

"And we're polishing up his language"

Dai adds that they are trying to polish up his language as well.

"Are you saying we don't speak proper Welsh?"

Britt takes exception to this: “Are you saying we don’t speak proper Welsh?” she demands, “That exam isn’t for weeks – the coursework deadline is Monday! Were you here when you should have been at the photo shoot?

"You've got a Welsh essay to finish!"

You’ve got a Welsh essay to finish – come home and do it.”

"But, Mam . . ."

When he objects,

"You're grounded, good boy!"

she shouts, “Right! You’re grounded, good boy!”

"Ask Gaynor for a job!"

Then she turns to Diane; “If you want to be a teacher, go and ask Gaynor for a job!” She orders Chester out of APD.

"Can you e-mail me some photos?"

In the Deri, Mathew is on the phone to his mother, and asks her to do him a favour; “Will you e-mail some photos of me as a baby, please? There is a competition in the local paper – they want photos.”

"I'm just about to take that car"

Gethin comes in and approaches Sheryl; “I’m just about to take that car, if you want a lift,” he tells her, and she describes him as ‘naughty’,

"Ffion hopes you are getting the ring today"

but their conversation is interrupted by Diane, who congratulates him on his engagement.

She tells Sheryl, “You and Hywel have some competition now.” Turning to Gethin, she asks whether he has been to get the car parts yet. “Ffion said she was hoping you were going to buy the ring today –

Gethin thinks he had better comply

“she’ll be very disappointed if she has to wait much longer.”

"I really wanted to see that film"

Hannah protests that she really wanted to see a film today, but is told by Britt that Chester is not leaving until he finishes his schoolwork.

"Maybe you can go out tomorrow night"

“Maybe you can go out tomorrow night, if you’ve done enough work – but you’re not going anywhere today!”

Garry finds the garage locked up

Garry is surprised to find the garage locked up, and knocks on the door;

"He said he was going to Carmarthen"

Ffion, who happens to be passing, says Gethin mentioned going to Carmarthen to get parts.
But at that moment he comes walking down the street, and Garry is not impressed, wondering where these parts are.

"That was just an excuse"

“That was just an excuse,” Gethin replies,

"I hope you like it"

“To buy this for you – I hope you like it.” Ffion certainly does, and when she looks at the ring says that it is perfect;

Fortunately it is a perfect fit

Garry just hopes that it fits, and indeed it does.

"No turning back now"

“No turning back now,” Garry warns him.

Britt is showing off her generosity

Eileen walks past the chip shop and sees a notice on the door; ‘Dry January sponsors – support Cwmderi RFC’.

"Chester left these behind"

Britt comes out of the shop, and Diane brings some sweets that Chester left behind. Once more Britt complains about him working at APD,

Chester is not slave labour, after all

then is silenced when Diane hands over Chester’s wages.

"Don't punish him for being enthusiastic"

“Listen, he came to me to ask for help – there’s no need to punish him for being enthusiastic. He’s a natural public speaker – you need to encourage him.”

"Are you telling me how to raise my own son?"

“Oh, you’re trying to tell me how to raise my own son, are you?” Britt demands; Diane was expecting an overreaction like this.

Chester makes sure the coast is clear

Meanwhile, Chester has escaped from the flat, and, looking cautiously around, heads along the back street.

"Sorry, I forgot – you're not allowed to drink!"

In the shop, Jim tells Dai and DJ that he is going to the Deri; “Oh, sorry, Dai, I forgot – you’re not allowed to drink now, are you?”

"Right, I'll make it £100!"

Eileen wants to sponsor them for £100, in the name of the shop –

"That's twice as much as Britt gave"

and DJ remarks that it is twice as much as Britt gave.

Dai assures her that the shop will get promoted as a sponsor, and as they leave,

"She thinks I'm still at home"

Chester and Hannah come in, thinking they have evaded Britt.

Oh no she does not!

However, the door bursts open and she appears. “I had to come out,” Chester alleges, “I can’t work non-stop – I need breaks and fresh air. I’ve made lots of notes for the coursework.”

"You can have 15 minutes every couple of hours"

Britt agrees he can have 15 minutes every couple of hours, but he is not to go anywhere near APD or Bryntirion – then reminds him that he only has 10 minutes left of this break.

"I sponsored Dai for £100!"

Eileen very conspicuously attaches a notice to the shop door, and points out that she has sponsored Dai for £100.

"I don't want you up here!"

Yet again, Mathew appears in the Deri flat; “How many times do I have to say? I don’t want you up here!” snarls Dani.

“I’ve got a small gift for Carol – I chose this,” he replies,

"I don't want it, Mathew!"

but Dani does not want it.

"I had Carol's name engraved on it"

“Please – I’ve had Carol’s name engraved on it,” he continues,

Dani soon shuts the lid again

as he opens the musical box.

"What is wrong with you?"

“What is wrong with you?” Dani demands, “I didn’t want the last gift, and I don’t want this one! Do you hear me?” He simply responds that he will have to bring another gift, as Carol has a right to have something from him. “She’s nothing to do with you!” Dani screams.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he says, triumphantly,

Mathew can see a likeness between the two babies

“I asked Mam to send a photo of me when I was a baby,” and places the photo he picked up alongside his phone. “Look how similar Carol is to me!”

"You're seeing what you want to see!"

Dani is furious; “You’re just seeing what you want to see – where did you get this photo?” He insists that Carol looks more like him than Garry; his mother said that he had trouble sleeping, and always wanted to be fed. “That is just a coincidence – lots of babies are like that,” she tells him, and warns that Garry will be back soon.

"I'm not going anywhere"

Mathew is adamant, “I’m not going anywhere until we sort this out once and for all!”

"What do you want?"

and she demands what he wants. “A DNA test,” is the answer.

DJ heads for the garage . . .

DJ comes out of the back door of Bryntirion and into the garage opposite;

. . . and finds Dai in there

he is startled to see Dai interfering with his homebrew kit.

"Just testing the home-made wine"

Dai assures him that he is just testing the home-made wine, as Mathew asked him to check that it is maturing properly. He gives the opinion that it is shaping up nicely.

"You've been drinking on the sly"

“I’m not stupid, Dad – you’ve been drinking on the sly, haven’t you?” says DJ, and Dai confesses that he may had one or two small glasses, as it does not make sense to give up just like that.

"It's a shock to the system"

“It’s a shock to the system,” he points out,

"We said we wouldn't drink BEER!"

and DJ remarks that they actually said they would give up drinking beer, so a small drop of home-made wine would not make any difference.

Just as Dai pours a couple of glasses . . .

Then they hear a noise outside, and are scared that Diane has come back. However, it is only Dai’s feline friend.

"I'm expecting a customer any minute"

Gethin comes into the salon, but Sheryl informs him she is expecting a customer any minute. “I want to see you again,” he tells her, but she protests that is not possible.

"The flat will be empty all day"

“Ffion is starting back at work on Monday – the flat will be empty all day,” he points out. Sheryl says he is playing with fire, and she does not want anyone to get hurt; “They won’t, if we’re careful,” he maintains,

"I'll see you, Sher"

“I’ll see you.”

"I'm not taking no for an answer"

“If the DNA test proves I’m not the father, then I’ll leave you alone,” Mathew vows, “I’m not taking no for an answer this time.” Dani is quite adamant that it is not going to happen.